We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Baker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

My initial answer to this question was yes. But after I thought about if for a few minutes, I’ve changed my answer. No, I do not wish I’d started my creative journey sooner. I’ve learned so much about myself over the last few years & I think all of that learning needed to happen in order for me to me decide to take content creating seriously. I needed to see myself in a light that I don’t think I saw myself in 5 years ago. I’ve learned that half of the job is truly believing that you can do it. & as corny as that sounds, it’s so so true. It’s something you just won’t understand until you’ve gone through the transformation of seeing yourself as the person you’re hoping to be. I also think I needed to learn & grow through times of procrastination & simply not doing, so that I could understand the impact. When God teaches me a lesson, I learn it & try my damnedest not to have to learn it again. I learned so many lessons in 2022 & 2023 that I absolutely refused to have to learn again this year & all of that has contributed to me lighting the fire under me to simply GET SHIT DONE! I trust in Gods timing, even when I may give it a slight side eye, I trust it. So no, I’m started right at the time I was supposed to.

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started creating content during the pandemic when TikTok started taking off. I wasn’t initially sure what I wanted to share there but I loved the app, it was super entertaining & I knew I wanted in. I have a passion for black owned business & so I started there, just simply sharing black owned businesses here in Chicago. They’d range from restaurants, clothing stores, whatever. I’ve also been a resource for my friends/family on what to do & where to go & soon people started to recommend that I share exactly that on the internet. A lightbulb went off & I decided to roll with it. I have a friend who’s really good at branding, I told him what I wanted my new social media name to represent & the Chi Concierge was born. Alot of people don’t realize that the name is actually a double entendre. Chi, short for Chicago of course but also Chi, as in your life force, what gives you energy. My goal is to share things to see & do with those who may not necessarily think to get up, get out & explore the world. I think we all find our “chi” through experience & so the Chi Concierge is here to encourage you all to experience & explore this entire world in the hopes that you discover your passions & your life’s purpose. Of course I LOVE the nod to my hometown, the Chi, as well. It worked really beautifully & I hope that when people come across my pages that they’re inspired to go do something new, whether that be right here in Chicago or in London. There’s a really big world to explore & I want that for all my people.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes! Part of my initial goal was to shed a light on black owned businesses. That evolved into just wanting to simply highlight amazing places, spaces & experiences in an effort to encourage more black people to try new experiences. Chicago is an amazing city & there are so many residents who don’t explore it, let alone anywhere else in the world. I want people to see my content & be inspired to switch it up, do something new. Whether that may be a new restaurant, a new museum, or a new vacation destination, I want to be an example to people of what’s possible & what life can look like when you decide to be curious & explore & learn about your interests & who you are.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I really built my audience by starting to post the things I cared about & was interested in. It’s the most cliche advice but just start would be the advice that I’d give to anyone who’s starting. Start & start with what is true to YOU. Find inspiration in people who are where you want to be but always be unique & yourself in any & everything you do. Start knowing that everyones social media journey & road to “fame” is different so don’t get caught up in why someone else has more followers & why someone else has a brand deal that you don’t. You’ll miss your own milestones & the lessons in your own journey trying to keep up with someone else.

Contact Info:

• Website: thechiconcierge.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechiconcierge/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-baker-814/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thechiconcierge